The President of Ukraine Volodymyr Zelensky, after a conference call with government officials, informed about the quick next steps regarding the blockade on the part of Poland.
"With government officials — the Deputy Prime Minister Olha Stefanishyna, ministers Dmytro Kuleba, Oleksandr Kubrakov and Mykola Solsky — we discussed the situation in detail and determined our next steps. They will be very soon," he noted.
Zelensky also added that trade liberalization with the EU should continue.
Consul General of Poland in Lviv Eliza Dzwonkiewicz asked for an apology from Ukrainians for the Polesʼ actions. On Facebook, she stated that "a real Pole would never stab his neighbors fighting for freedom with a knife in the back." Dzwonkiewicz clarified that it is not about the Polesʼ demands, but about the form of protest.
At the same time, Polandʼs deputy minister of agriculture Michał Kołodziejczak allowed the introduction of new restrictions, in case of "lack of cooperation from Ukraine.
- From November 2023, Poles periodically block checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. Polish carriers, and then farmers, have been obstructing the movement of trucks for varying lengths of time, demanding from their authorities and the European Union to improve working conditions and preferences. They are asking for a ban on the import of agricultural products from Ukraine that do not meet EU standards, the return of the permit system for Ukrainian transporters, subsidies for fertilizers, compensation for excise duty on fuel, payment of subsidies, and have other demands that have nothing to do with Ukraine.
- On February 20, Polish farmers began a general strike across the country. The Association of Hunters joined them. Protesters blocked six checkpoints on the border with Ukraine. But in the evening of the same day, traffic restrictions at three checkpoints were eased.
- In response, Ukrainian carriers blocked three points. The action will last until March 15 or until the borders are unblocked by Polish demonstrators. Carriers say that they will let in Polish trucks with the delay with which Poles let in Ukrainian ones.